A public watchdog, which gave Kingston residents a voice on policing in the borough for more than 30 years, has been scrapped in favour of new model introduced by London mayor Boris Johnson.

The Kingston Community and Police Partnership (KCPP) has been replaced by the Kingston Safer Neighbourhood Board (SNB) made up of 22 board members.

The KCPP had opposed the move, amid concerns about funding, and helped develop the structure of the SNBs along with Kingston Council and Kingston police.

KCPP chairman John Azah said he was confident the new board structure would represent the community.

But he said: "It is unfortunate we have to introduce a new mechanism just for the sake of it since Kingston has always successfully worked with the police to keep it the safest borough in London, and as a place people want to come and shop and have fun."

Previous KCPP chair Sandra Flower and administrator Linda Chesters – whose last act before being made redundant was to organise the SNB launch event on April 2, have stepped down.

Kingston’s borough commander Glenn Tunstall said: "I have emphasised how I see the police as part of the community and I believe that through the new board and the enhanced levels of engagement and accountability we will be able to demonstrate that."

Comments (2)

I despise these quango-esque pronouncements about "enhanced accountability and engagement". Please talk like human beings, not a rookie graduate from an American business school. Of course, bottom line is what all these changes are going to for lowering KOT's crime figures.

I despise these quango-esque pronouncements about "enhanced accountability and engagement". Please talk like human beings, not a rookie graduate from an American business school. Of course, bottom line is what all these changes are going to for lowering KOT's crime figures.kingstonpaul

Wherever you are in the World, in your own jurisdictions, in your own capacity, you can do something, anything, just one thing. And make a difference.

Break the code. Break the culture.

DoD study on random polygraphs for personnel. http://t.co/Tr7uafTd
"the polygraph is the single most effective tool for finding information people were trying to hide." - DIA, NSA.
CBP could require current employees to undergo polygraphs. http://t.co/MpPsmq2p
Make policy that polygraphs for all new hires expire every 2-5yrs. http://shar.es/epfm2
Random drug, lie detector tests for Police Officers in Spain. http://www.trinidade
xpress.com/news/Rand
om-drug-lie-detector
-tests-221734651.
LAPD body video cameras. http://www.latimes.c
om/local/la-me-dodge
rs-lapd-20131002,0,4
237783.story
The honest, brave officers with integrity deserve better.
And so does the public.
Wherever you are in the World, in your own jurisdictions, in your own capacity, you can do something, anything, just one thing. And make a difference.
Break the code. Break the culture.Donalds